For this Issue of Armoire Magazine, we interviewed Mallory Hublein of The Rebel Stylist about her personal style, creativity, and paving her own path in the fashion industry. We teamed up with Photographer Cecilia Alejandra to create an exclusive film series exploring the theme of prints and patterns in both art and fashion. Read our conversation with Mallory linked below:

THE REBEL STYLIST: A CONVERSATION WITH MALLORY HUBLEIN

Hi Mallory, thank you for being with us today! To begin, we would love to learn more about your style and are curious about how it has been empowering for you?

Personal style, for me, has taken some time to put together. It was a journey to love, embrace and celebrate the things that make me different and unique. That is something that I find empowering and attractive about others as well, when a person is on their own path and they don't worry about the opinions of others, it's very magnetic.

Also, you can circle around and appreciate things that you enjoyed at different times in your life. You realize that although you have changed, many things about you stay the same. I think that is one of the cool things about getting older is that you embrace your background and how it influences who you are at this moment.

How did you become a Stylist?

When I was younger, I learned to sew from my Grandmother. I would make bags, accessories, clothing items. I always knew I would pursue design but in college, I found myself designing from a styling perspective. I would think "i'm drawing the dress I want to sew but what would the rest of the outfit look like?"

You mentioned working in New York City, how did you land your positions at Alice + Olivia and Anne Klein?

I think I was just at the right place at the right time and put in a lot of hard work in. I graduated from college here in Texas, moved to NYC and networked with everyone I knew. Everyone I met led to something else, so things worked out but I did have to put myself out there a lot just to get that one job, that one internship, that one thing that led to the next.

Would that be your advice to designers or stylists having difficulty finding career opportunities? Is it about networking and persistent hard work?

Austin versus New York, they're such different places of business. In New York, you have to be willing to put in long hours and do whatever it takes but there's also a lot of opportunity within that. There are so many jobs and positions in NYC whereas in Austin, you have to make your own opportunities. Carving out your own path in Austin is important because there aren't a lot of paths here that you can easily follow.

As a creative entrepreneur, it seems as though you have to play many roles very well to make your project a reality. Have you found that to be true?

Yes, I was just reading an article on that the other day. Being a jack of all trades used to be a negative thing but in modern times, that's become the skill set to have, to be able to do a little bit of everything.

At what moment did you decide to launch The Rebel Stylist?

I was shopping with a friend and she went into the fitting room to try on some clothes. I checked in on her awhile later and found her in tears. Like many women, she felt that certain parts of her body were not good enough. I remember saying, "I see bodies of all sorts, all the time. We're all different and have our own insecurities." This is a close friend of mine and I didn't even know that was how she was feeling but I was able to help her see a perspective outside of what she saw in the mirror.

It clicked in my mind that i'm a rebel stylist because I want to empower people and help them embrace who they are. I want to help others dress for themselves and understand that their differences are a great thing. So yeah, "The Rebel Stylist," really makes sense with my approach and what I want to do for others.

Do you think it is important to have knowledge of culture and art in the fashion industry?

It is so important to know what's happening in the moment, giving an understanding of current trends and where they may go next. You have to be aware of what's going on in the world and understand that art, culture and fashion are connected all the time.

Looking forward, what is your vision for The Rebel Stylist?

I just hope that as my career continues, I'm able to take on lots of different creative projects, whatever they might be. Being a part of a team that pushes boundaries, comes up with inspiring, innovative work, that is really important to me. Whatever path that takes me down is the path I want to be on.